


Sunsets and Desert Sands

by SilverInk



Category: The Mummy (1999), The Mummy Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fandom Trumps Hate, I'm Bad At Summaries, Multi, Muslim Character, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romantic Fluff, Secret Relationship, fourth wheel Jonathan, in which the ot3 moves in together, عربي | Arabic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2017-11-19
Packaged: 2018-12-20 21:05:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11929251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverInk/pseuds/SilverInk
Summary: The development of Evie, Rick, and Ardeth's relationship during and after The Mummy; after Imhotep is defeated, Rick and Evelyn go with Ardeth back to his home. They start a relationship and try to keep it a secret as long as they can...





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GhostInTheMachine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostInTheMachine/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ardeth and the Medjai try to prevent the Creature from being awoken.

From their vantage point high on the cliff, Ardeth Bay and the group of Medjai with him silently watched the battle unfolding below in the ruins of Hamunaptra. Battles such as this—the native inhabitants defending their land from foreign invaders—had become a fairly common occurrence here since the start of World War I, and the task of guarding the Creature’s grave had become even more vital. The last thing the world needed now was the curse of an undead horror.

As Ardeth watched, it seemed clear that the invaders, the French Legion, wouldn’t last long. As good as they were, these indigenous people knew the land and knew how to defend it. However, his eyes were drawn again and again to one man in particular; the commander of the French Legion fought very well, and Ardeth focused on him through a pair of worn binoculars, a little surprised by how quick and graceful he was.

Soon, only the commander and a few of the men were left. The Medjai continued to watch the survivors from a distance, and the older man to Ardeth's right asked if they should kill them.

“No,” Ardeth answered quickly. “The desert will make its choice.” He didn't know why he was sparing this man, but he felt in his heart that it was the right thing to do. As he glanced through the binoculars again, the commander turned around and looked up at them, and Ardeth could've sworn he was looking right at _him_ , right into his eyes. Ardeth felt a shiver run down his spine.

He had his men track the survivors until the soldiers eventually died in the heat, and he himself personally tracked the commander, Rick O’Connell, _all the way through the desert to Cairo_. Surely Allah must have some great plan for him, Ardeth thought, for him to survive the unforgiving conditions of the desert.

The Medjai kept watch on O’Connell and the one other man who survived, Beni Gabor. Only a few people ever left Hamunaptra and the desert surrounding it alive, and it made everyone in the camp uneasy knowing that even two people might know how to find the city again and discover the secret the Medjai had guarded for thousands of years.

Nothing of much interest happened for the next three years. O'Connell got into the occasional bar fight (well maybe more than occasional), and Gabor often picked peoples' pockets and never got caught, but neither of them ever got in any serious trouble. But then, O’Connell was sent to prison, and not long after, they heard that a librarian in the Cairo Museum, an Evelyn Carnahan, had somehow found a map to Hamunaptra, and Beni Gabor disappeared completely for almost a week; it seemed everything was happening at once now. These three events had to be connected, Ardeth thought, and they all signaled trouble for him.

Then Carnahan and her brother found O’Connell and got him out of prison, and the three of them left Cairo together; and Beni Gabor agreed to take a group of American treasure hunters to the city. Suddenly everything was much more serious than anything Ardeth had anticipated. They had a man keeping tabs on things in Cairo and the Cairo Museum, a cousin of Ardeth’s, and he'd been unable to persuade Miss Carnahan not to go looking for Hamunaptra, and now the threat that someone would unleash the Creature loomed large.

Ardeth wouldn’t lie and say he wasn’t scared—he was terrified—but he had faith in every one of the Medjai warriors, and he had faith that together they could prevent the Creature from being awoken, _insha’allah_. It was their sworn duty to protect the world from the evil their ancestors had created; they couldn’t, and wouldn’t, fail.

***

The Medjai had eyes and ears everywhere, so Ardeth was kept informed of the parties’ progress through the desert. He quickly guessed that both groups, O'Connell and the Carnahans and the treasure hunters, were going to the same place.

Ardeth sent men to attack the boat, but somehow, they all made it to their destination unscathed, the key still in their possession, still full of determination. Ardeth was growing frustrated, and the grief he felt after the deaths of so many of his men only made him feel worse and more guilty; but he tried to remind himself that there would be other opportunities to stop them. Unexpected regret pierced through him at the thought of having to _kill_ these people, and he quickly shook it off; he knew he couldn’t afford to be sentimental. Many more might die if he didn’t, so if that was what needed to happen for the Creature to stay buried, then that’s what he’d do.

But he couldn't ignore the doubt forming in the back of his mind, telling him the events that had been set in motion were too powerful to be so easily stopped…

***

Ardeth felt it when they found the Creature’s sarcophagus, felt a chill run through him, and he dropped the paper he was reading with shaking hands. He immediately assembled more warriors to attack the camp in Hamunaptra.

The Americans had already found the Book of the Dead and opened the chest that would allow the Creature to regain his power once he was awoken, and surely it was only a matter of time before Miss Carnahan figured out how to do just that. Ardeth could tell that while the Americans and O’Connell were here for the treasure and glory, Carnahan was here for a very different reason: her true desire was to discover the hidden knowledge in this place, to learn as much she could, to prove herself, and Ardeth knew that these desires could be stronger even than a desire for treasure. It wouldn’t be easy to deter her.

“We must leave quickly,” he told his men, and they stormed the camp during the night. Tents were knocked over, fires broke out, several of their own were wounded or killed; in the chaos, Ardeth’s horse spooked and nearly threw him.

Blood rushing in his ears, Ardeth rode hard toward the man nearest him, sword in his hand, and before he knew what was happening, he was being tackled off his horse, landing hard enough to almost knock the wind out of him. He got up quickly, preparing to fight the man who'd attacked him, and came face to face with none other than Rick O'Connell.

His momentary surprise gave O'Connell the chance to shoot Ardeth's sword right out of his hands. Cursing himself, he picked it up again while O’Connell was distracted and swung at him, knocking the gun out of his hand, and Ardeth thought he’d won. But then O’Connell lit a stick of dynamite in the fire, holding it out towards Ardeth to protect himself. A stream of curses rolling through his head, Ardeth lowered his sword and resigned himself to failure once again.

“Enough! _Yalla!”_ he shouted to his men, and the camp was suddenly very quiet. Ardeth turned back to O’Connell. “We will shed no more blood. But you must leave.” His eyes swept over the camp, looking every one of them in the eyes, trying to get them to understand the seriousness of the situation.

“Leave this place or die. You have one day,” he finished. It was a bit melodramatic, but he had no time and no wish to sugar coat this. Too much was at stake, and they had to see that.

He grabbed his horse and was quickly in the saddle again. _“Yalla imshi,_ let’s go!” he shouted again, his eyes never leaving O’Connell, and Miss Carnahan behind him, praying that they would leave this whole thing alone.

***

All the next day, the Medjai kept watch on the camp, and it didn’t look like anyone in the group was planning on leaving. They just continued to dig and talk among themselves, and Ardeth could physically feel himself growing more and more tense. But it wasn’t until after midnight that night, when Ardeth had let another group of men take over the watch, that anything actually happened.

Waking with a start from a fitful sleep, he sat bolt upright and drew the short knife he kept by his bed before he knew what he was doing; he knew instinctively, felt in his soul, that the Creature had been awoken. He threw the blanket off and stumbled out of his tent, his eyes still blurry from sleep, and even before he saw the massive cloud of locusts around the camp, he could hear the buzzing of their wings growing louder and louder in what would soon be a deafening roar. Many of the other warriors saw or heard them too, and they looked just as alarmed as Ardeth felt.

“God help us all,” he said softly, trying to fight the feeling of helpless frustration growing in his chest.

He let out a shaky breath. Then he went back into the tent to get ready for the day, prepare, and pray, as he always did, for strength and guidance. He had a lot of work to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact, I heard somewhere that the medjai call Imhotep the Creature because it's like he-who-must-not-be-named & saying his actual name is like saying Voldemort


	2. Protector of Man, Warrior for God

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Relax, I got him.” O’Connell’s tone was unimpressed and cocky, and Ardeth didn’t even try to hide his annoyance as he gave a reply that seemed perfectly obvious to him.
> 
> “No mortal weapon can kill this creature. He is not of this world.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was unbeta'd so any mistakes are mine! hope you enjoy :D

The Egyptologist who’d come with the Americans arrived at the Medjai camp a stumbling, stuttering mess, ranting about “that useless, meddling woman” and how this whole situation was entirely her fault.

“She read from the book!” he exclaimed, slightly hysterical now, and Ardeth put a hand on his arm to try to calm him.

“The woman, did she open the chest as well?”

“Well, no…” stuttered the Egyptologist, a guilty look crossing his face. Still, he kept trying to pin the blame on Miss Carnahan. “But—but you have to understand, _she_ —” Ardeth held up a hand, cutting him off.

“Not completely her fault, then. I wouldn’t worry so much about her.”

By the time Ardeth had gotten a group of men assembled and ridden to the treasure seekers’ camp to hunt for the Creature, he had already started regenerating. He had taken the eyes and tongue of one of the men who’d opened the chest and found the Book of the Dead, and the Medjai brought the man out of the tomb quickly. The Creature was nowhere in sight.

One of their doctors was able to do some first aid on the man, cleaning the wounds, talking to him in English to try and keep him calm.

“Will he be alright?” Ardeth asked.

“There doesn't seem to be any major damage; he should be fine, at least physically,” the doctor answered, not taking his eyes off his patient. Ardeth nodded, relieved.

When the man’s American friends, the Carnahans, and O’Connell showed up, Ardeth and his men were prepared. Ardeth removed the covering from his face and stepped forward.

“I told you to leave or die. You refused. And now you may have killed us all, for you have unleashed the Creature we have feared for more than three thousand years.”

“Relax, I got him.” O’Connell’s tone was unimpressed and cocky, and Ardeth didn’t even try to hide his annoyance as he gave a reply that seemed perfectly obvious to him.

“No mortal weapon can kill this creature. He is not of this world.”

The man who had lost his eyes and tongue was brought forward, and his friends immediately rushed toward him and demanded, “What did you do to him? You bastards!”

“We saved him,” Ardeth said, voice firm. “We saved him before the Creature could finish his work! Now leave, all of you, quickly. Before he finishes you all.” He turned to his men. Time was of the essence if they were to find the Creature before he caused more damage. _“Yalla, imshi.”_

“I already told you, I got him,” O’Connell repeated as Ardeth passed him. Ardeth turned back to face him, looking right into his eyes, and tried once again to convince the man of this very real danger, though he had no time to waste when the Creature could be wreaking havoc on Cairo.

“This Creature is the bringer of death,” Ardeth told him. “He will never eat, he will never sleep, he will never stop.” It might have been needlessly harsh, but he had tried to warn them, convince them to leave, and in their ignorance they had stayed and unleashed this Creature, leaving the Medjai to make things right.

***

When Ardeth met with his cousin at the Cairo Museum in the wake of the second Plague of Egypt, Terrence Bey explained that he tried to convince Miss Carnahan not to pursue her crazy, spontaneous adventure, but he underestimated just how invested she was in this.

“Well, perhaps now she can be persuaded to let it go,” Ardeth said, though somehow he felt that she wasn’t going to just leave after all this. Even with what little he knew of her, this woman didn’t seem like the kind of person who would unleash something this dangerous and then leave to let other people deal with the fall out. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but Ardeth considered himself to be an excellent judge of character. And from Terrence’s look, he didn’t seem to be too far off.

They’d fallen into discussing possible strategies for defeating the monster, and Ardeth heard the sound of doors opening, and voices, and then Miss Carnahan’s shocked exclamation: “What is _he_ doing here?”

Ardeth and Terrence explained about the Medjai and the Creature to the best of their ability, saying that the Creature would fear nothing and no-one once he had fully regenerated. Through all of this, Carnahan seemed frightened but determined to see the Creature reburied, even when Terrence suggested she might be used as a sacrifice.

All the rest of the day, Ardeth and a small group of Medjai searched the streets of Cairo for the Creature, to no avail. He’d sent several other groups to search different areas of the city, but they found nothing either, and Ardeth returned to the museum again that evening, weary and not a little disheartened.

O’Connell, Jonathan and Evelyn Carnahan, and the one remaining American treasure hunter were at the museum as well, and Miss Carnahan explained a plan she had of how to kill the Creature. Her optimism and hopefulness made Ardeth feel a little better about the whole situation, as did O’Connell’s eagerness to destroy the Creature quickly.

Seeing the hundreds of people who’d become slaves to the Creature chilled Ardeth’s blood, and Miss Carnahan’s—Evie, she’d insisted, in a quiet moment before all hell broke lose—her plan seemed to be all they had. As he hovered behind her, urging her to read faster and watching as the masses broke down the museum doors, he was reminded of the Egyptologist and the condescending way he talked about her, called her useless and meddling, and felt a surge of pride on her behalf. She wasn’t useless at all, and Ardeth wished the Egyptologist could see her now.

Facing the Creature, seeing him with his own eyes, Ardeth felt fear ripple through him in an almost physical sensation. Here was his worst enemy, his worst fear, and he had no idea how to defend himself without the use of his guns or swords; but O’Connell stood by his side, fighting as bravely as any Medjai, and Ardeth took strength from the other man.

At the Creature’s demand that Evie go with him, and be his for all eternity, Ardeth’s heart dropped, and he saw O’Connell’s hand go to his pistol. Then Evie went with him of her own volition, and only then did Ardeth realize how strong his feelings for her, and for O’Connell, were. Ardeth had to force himself to be the rational one and trust she knew what she was doing while O’Connell fought to keep her with them. He bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself begging Evie to stay too, even physically holding O’Connell back, practically in his ear when he urged him to “live today, fight tomorrow.”

Evie’s eyes flicked from O’Connell to Ardeth as she was led away, and Ardeth’s chest tightened painfully. When they disappeared and the Creature ordered the mass of people to kill them, Ardeth couldn’t bring himself to let go of O’Connell yet, and O’Connell wrapped a hand around Ardeth’s wrist.

Terrence tried to fight off the Creature’s slaves singlehandedly, and before Ardeth could move to help him, O’Connell grabbed onto his robes and tugged him down into the manhole. O’Connell jumped in a moment later, and told them Terrence hadn’t made it. Neither had the American.

“Whoever he was to you... well, just wanted to say I’m sorry,” he said to Ardeth, putting a hand on his shoulder sympathetically. He looked so sincere, and for a moment Ardeth could only nod.

“Thank you my friend,” he replied once he’d found his voice. But he could only take a moment to mourn and pray for Terrence’s soul before the remaining three of them had to make the trip back to Hamunaptra as quickly as possible.

***

Ardeth, O’Connell, and Jonathan got some help from one of O’Connell’s old friends who flew them to the city in an airplane. Ardeth was mesmerized; the desert was unbelievably beautiful from this high up, and the feeling of flight was exhilarating. It didn’t last long, however, as they were soon crashing into the ground, right into a pool of quicksand, and O’Connell’s friend didn’t make it out. Ardeth felt dizzy and a little sick; as inspiring as it had been, he didn't feel he needed to repeat this experience. At least not anytime soon.

Once they were inside the tomb, a hoard of Imhotep’s priests attacked them, and O’Connell was able to hold them off for a while with a stick of dynamite he had, lighting a match on the stubble of Ardeth’s cheek.

That didn’t work for long, and soon the priests were coming close again. Jonathan and O’Connell were trying to get the Book of Amun Ra from the base of the statue, and Ardeth reloaded the rifle, realizing, with a feeling like ice water flooding his body, what he would have to do. He was doing it so Evie could be rescued and the world could be safe from the horror of this Creature, he reminded himself, and giving his life for this cause would be well worth it.

“These guys just never quit, do they,” said O’Connell, irritated, and Ardeth readied his Thompson.

“Keep digging,” he told them, grateful that his voice came out mostly steady.

When the gun was empty, he unsheathed the swords at his sides, heart hammering almost painfully in his chest. “Save the girl, kill the creature!”

Ardeth met O’Connell’s eyes briefly before running into the tunnel, trying to kill as many of the mummies as he could to buy them time. O’Connell threw another stick of dynamite down the tunnel, and Ardeth managed to get out of the way of the explosion and falling rocks, his only injuries a few burns on his hands and arms.

Everything after that was a blur. Soon, the whole building was collapsing around him and all he could do was get out as quickly as possible, praying fervently that the others had made it out.

After what felt like a long time he saw O’Connell, Evie, and Jonathan, running from the ruins of Hamunptra, and relief washed over him. He put a hand on Jonathan's shoulder, startling him, and grinned at the shock on their faces that changed to undisguised delight.

"Ardeth! Oh my goodness, Ardeth, we didn't think you'd made it!" Evie was suddenly in front of him, kissing him on both cheeks, and then moving back to check his injuries, her hands resting gently on his face the whole time, and she produced a cloth seemingly from nowhere and insisted on wrapping up his burns properly before they did anything else. Her touch was gentle and warm, and Ardeth let himself close his eyes briefly, enjoying the respite of her caretaking.

"Let the man breathe, Evie," came Jonathan's voice from behind him. Evie looked over at her brother, then gave Ardeth an apologetic look, finishing quickly and taking a step back, stuttering apologies.

Ardeth shook his head and cut her off, biting his lip to hide a smile. "Thank you, Evelyn," he said seriously, and she grinned at him, blushing.

“You will surely want to return to your homes soon,” Ardeth suggested, heart sinking at the thought of having to leave them. "It will take another two days of riding to reach the boat docks. You should start now.”

“Oh I don’t think we need to leave just yet,” Evie said, looking from her brother to O’Connell. “I mean, it doesn’t feel right to just… leave, after all this, does it?” She was imploring them to understand now, and Ardeth thought he knew some of what she meant.

“Perhaps you could come and stay at the Medjai camp for a few days until you are ready to return home,” Ardeth offered, hoping it wasn’t too outrageous to suggest such a thing when they knew so little about each other.

Evie practically glowed with excitement at this, and she, Jonathan, and O’Connell exchanged a glance.

“Well, I think it’s a lovely idea,” she said, nodding decisively and pulling one of the camels down before swinging a leg over its back. “O’Connell? Jonathan?”

“It’s Rick, to my friends,” he said, meeting each of their eyes, and Ardeth felt something shift between them. “And that sounds like a great idea,” he added.

“Sure, why not,” said Jonathan. “I’m in.”

“Alright.” Ardeth gave them a grin, at the same time excited and nervous now to show them his home. “It will take half a day of riding to reach the camp. We can make camp along the way tonight, and be there around noon tomorrow, _insha’allah_.”

O’Connell— _Rick_ — got onto his own camel, flashing Ardeth a wide grin that made his breath catch in his throat. Ardeth and Jonathan were soon in their own saddles, and then they were off, Ardeth’s heart full to bursting with the triumph of their success. By the grace of Allah, they had defeated the Creature, and they’d made it out alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is the closest to slow burn I've ever written lmao XD
> 
> next chapter things will be getting more interesting & I'll get into more of the fun shippy stuff now that the movie recap is done haha


	3. Returning Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> getting to the fun stuff now! this chapter is definitely longer, but i had a lot i wanted to fit in... i hope you enjoy!!

Rick’s mind was reeling. He'd almost lost both Evelyn and Ardeth in the same day, and he suddenly felt the crazy urge to tell them the feeling that had been at the back of his mind for days. Even though he hadn’t known either of them that long, Ardeth only for a few days, he was finally admitting to himself that he felt an undeniable attraction to both of them. He doubted Evie would be that surprised, she might even feel the same… but Ardeth was hard to read; he was also deeply religious, and Rick wondered how he’d feel about another man falling in love with him. Did the Medjai have their own views and laws on homosexuality?

There was only one way to find out of course, but Rick was still conflicted. He could at least tell Evie for now, he supposed, but he knew he had to tell Ardeth sometime for the sake of his sanity.

Evie rode ahead of him on her camel, her shoulders slumped with exhaustion, the adrenaline from the past few days finally wearing off. Ardeth was in front, leading them through the desert and looking just as weary as Evie did, and Jonathan rode at the back, behind Rick. They were all quiet for most of the ride, partly to let Ardeth concentrate on not getting them lost and partly because they were all too tired to make much conversation.

After an hour or so of riding in the heat, the sun began to set, painting the sky beautiful shades of pink and orange, and the four of them decided to set up camp for the night. Jonathan disappeared into his tent to sleep almost as soon as it was set up, but the other three stayed up, sitting by the fire together and talking a little.

Evie leant heavily against Rick, her forehead pressed against the crook of his neck, and Rick wrapped an arm around her, pulling her as close as he could. She was so unbelievably brave, and clever, and extremely attractive, and she’d used all of that to defeat an undead horror; his arm around her tightened and he pressed a kiss into her hair, then to her lips when she looked up at him.

“I could’ve lost you,” he said softly.

She gave him a small smile, wrapping her arm around him and pressing her hand against his lower back. “But you didn’t, love.”

Rick just grinned back, gently nudging his nose against hers.

Ardeth was on the other side of the fire, his dark eyes staring into it thoughtfully, shadows dancing across his face. Rick suddenly wished he was sitting with them, and mourned the empty space on his other side.

Eventually, Evie went off to bed, giving Rick a quick goodnight kiss and squeezing Ardeth’s shoulder as she passed him. The two of them sat in silence for a few moments, just listening to the night. Ardeth’s head was tilted back to watch the stars, the long, elegant line of his throat exposed, and it took considerable effort for Rick to drag his eyes away and dispel any thoughts of kissing the man senseless and leaving marks along his neck. Shaking his head at himself, Rick broke the silence:

“So… back to the day job after this?”

Ardeth raised an eyebrow. “This is my ‘day job’, as you call it,” he said, a slightly teasing note in his voice.

“What’ll you do now that good ol’ Imhotep’s back in the ground?” Rick enjoyed the banter they had, and he enjoyed trying to get the other man to lighten up a little. It seemed like Ardeth enjoyed it too, from the way he teased back in return.

“Well, I’m going to make sure nothing like this ever happens again in my lifetime,” Ardeth said, his eyes full of amusement, though Rick could tell he was being absolutely serious. “And I’m going to make sure no more foreigners with delusions of grandeur make it as far as you did.” That made Rick snort, and Ardeth just shrugged, unapologetic.

There was a short pause, then Rick said, “Seriously though, we messed things up big time for you. And I think I speak for all of us—or, almost all of us, maybe not my buddy Beni—” Ardeth huffed a laugh at that— “when I say, I am very sorry for that. We had no idea coming here would have consequences like this, and we should have listened when you said we had to leave. We were irresponsible, and the rest of the world almost paid the price.”

Ardeth’s face was soft and thoughtful, and he shook his head. “I appreciate that, Rick. Really. But in truth I’m glad you stayed, because without you, without Evelyn, it is doubtful the Medjai alone could have defeated the Creature. We owe a great debt to you.”

There was a pause in which Ardeth continued to watch him softly, and then Ardeth’s expression suddenly became pained. He bit his lip, then stood abruptly, walking around the fire toward Rick, taking his hands and pulling him to his feet; and then Ardeth was in his space, pressing his lips fiercely to Rick’s. One hand was on the side of Rick’s neck, pulling him in, the other rested on his chest, and before Rick knew what he was doing, he was kissing back. Ardeth let out a shaky breath, almost a sob, and his hands moved from Rick's neck to his shoulders to his waist, pulling him impossibly closer, and Rick tangled his fingers in Ardeth’s thick hair. With a sudden rush, he realized that the other man must have felt the same about their near-death experiences.

Ardeth pulled back suddenly, far too soon.

“I—I’m sorry—” his voice was a little breathless and his face was flushed, and he flicked his eyes up to Rick’s.

“Hey, no no no,” Rick interrupted, and Ardeth finally looked him fully in the face, eyes shockingly dark and intense. “I’ve been wanting to do that for ages.” He grinned. “Didn't think you’d be too happy with me if I tried it, though, so I’m glad you took the initiative.” Ardeth gave him a slightly shocked look and shook his head, grinning a little incredulously.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time too, but I thought you were already spoken for. I didn’t—I _don’t_ —want to ruin what you have with Evelyn.” He searched Rick’s face cautiously, and Rick tried to find the words to answer his unspoken question.

“I’m in love with that woman,” he started carefully, hoping the other man could understand, “and I plan to marry her. But… I think I'm starting to feel the same way about you, too.”

There was a long pause, and Ardeth’s face showed more surprise than anything else, which Rick supposed was a good thing. At least he wasn’t angry and trying to kill him, right? 

“Do you know…” Ardeth started slowly, “I think I feel the same way about you and Evelyn.” His face was uncharacteristically open and a little vulnerable when he met Rick’s eyes; Rick’s heart skipped a beat at the words.

“Yeah?” He couldn’t believe this. All this time he’d been worried about Ardeth’s reaction, when he felt exactly the same all along. When Ardeth nodded in confirmation, he could’ve kicked himself for not noticing before, but instead he leaned in and touched Ardeth’s cheek; he looked down to Ardeth’s full lips, then back to his eyes, and kissed him, slowly this time. Ardeth sighed, and Rick smiled into the kiss, pleased that he seemed to be affecting the other man as much as he affected Rick.

“Will you two just pipe down and go to bed already?” Jonathan said loudly, making the pair jump, sticking his head out long enough to glare at them before disappearing again. Rick didn’t think he’d even noticed they were kissing; he was still half asleep. Rick snorted and glanced at Ardeth who was shaking with silent laughter. It was good to see the other man let go a little, and Rick couldn’t help hoping he’d get to see this side of him on a regular basis.

A moment later, Evie stepped out of the tent too, looking much more awake than her brother, and went over to join them. “I'm not nearly tired enough for sleep yet. So, what were you talking about that got my brother so annoyed?”

“Well,” Rick started. How in the hell was he supposed to explain this? Was Evie going to want to beat him up after this? Because she absolutely could. 

“We’ve been talking—” he clapped Ardeth’s shoulder, “—about, uhh …” he threw a glance at Ardeth. “About our… relationship.” Damn it, he was screwed. That was so not how he’d meant to say it.

“Your relationship?” Evie repeated, giving him a puzzled look. “What about it?”

Rick took a deep breath. This was it. His eulogy better be damn good. “I’m in love with you, Evie. But... IloveArdethtoo.” He said the last part so quickly he wasn’t even sure she’d understood him.

“You—you love Ardeth? And me?” She'd definitely understood him, and Rick wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not; she seemed surprised, but in a strangely good way. Had she felt the same this whole time too?

Ardeth had the nerve to laugh, shaking his head. He pressed his lips firmly to Rick’s again before decisively turning and kissing Evie too, pulling her close. She made a surprised sound, gripping his arm tightly.

When they separated, Evie seemed both dazed and surprised for a second, then her face broke into a delighted grin.

“Do you understand the situation now?” Ardeth asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Oh, yes,” she practically whispered.

“And,” he continued, “do you feel the same about both of us?”

Evie’s eyes sparkled as she nodded, and then she pulled Ardeth in for another kiss, giggling and full of happiness. Rick's whole life was a lie; he’d thought it impossible that _both_ of them could feel the way he did, and he only regretted not telling them earlier.

When they broke apart, both their eyes were focused on Rick, sincere and open, and he allowed himself to be pulled in and kissed by each of them in turn. Ardeth's lips were on his and Evie kissed up his throat to his jaw, and Rick couldn't help groaning into Ardeth’s mouth, overwhelmed by feelings and sensations.

Even though they were right there, touching and kissing him, he couldn't believe they were _real_ , that they were _both his now_ and he was theirs. He only hoped they could make this work in the long run and that this wasn’t just a one-time fling.

Pushing such serious thoughts from his head, he buried his fingers in Evie's hair, pulling her up to give her deep kisses, at the same time reaching for the belt of Ardeth's robes. He needed to get undressed, get Ardeth and Evie undressed, _now_ , and all the layers Ardeth wore weren't helping at all. Rick gave a growl of frustration and broke away from Evie to kiss and nip at the soft skin of Ardeth's neck, earning him a guttural, breathless sound, and Rick grinned.

“Sensitive?”

The only reply he got was a low hum, before the three of them moved to Rick's tent and lost themselves in touching and kissing again. Soon Evie's shirt and brassiere were gone, thrown carelessly to the other side of the tent. Rick and Ardeth kissed and caressed all of her that they could—her breasts, stomach, collarbones—relishing the softness of her creamy skin, until she moaned softly and started tugging impatiently on their clothes. She managed to get Ardeth’s belt partially undone, then he took over and slowly removed the robes, layer by layer.

“How do you not roast in all that?” Rick blurted out. He hadn’t meant to say anything, but it was a perfectly reasonable question; Ardeth was completely covered in layers of black cloth, and Rick didn’t think that could possibly be comfortable in the heat of the desert, though they were the traditional robes of the Medjai.

Ardeth shook his head, smiling a little. “I’m just used to it I suppose. It does get a little hot, but I wouldn't feel right wearing anything else if I’m being honest.” Then he slipped the final layer over his head, revealing warm-brown skin, with tattoos all along his chest and arms, and scars scattered over his whole body. Rick sighed and ran his fingers across the tattoos, feeling the hard muscle underneath. Evie kissed just under Ardeth’s jaw, at the same time stroking his sides delicately, and he tipped his head back, a visible shudder running through his frame.

Both of them were beautiful, so beautiful, and Rick’s heart pounded to think of them, all three of them, together.

He reached for them, and they all three fell into the blankets together. Rick touched as much of Ardeth’s bronze skin as he could reach, Evie tugging at his shirt and fumbling with the buttons. Heart pounding in his ears, Rick practically tore the shirt off; the chill of the night air was shocking, but when Evie and Ardeth covered his body with their own, covered him with soft kisses, he barely noticed. His fingers were in their hair, and soon they were wrapped up in each other, oblivious to the world outside their tent…

***

The first thing Evie was aware of the next morning was a cool breeze on her skin and Rick’s arm heavy around her waist. She cracked an eye open in time to see Ardeth quietly leaving the tent, carefully closing the flaps after him, and she noticed it was just barely dawn. With a sigh, she turned in Rick’s arms to face him, her body pleasantly sore from the previous night. His face looked unusually peaceful in sleep, every muscle relaxed and the creases softened out, and Evie ran her fingers through his messy hair.

“You sleep, my love,” she whispered to him, then got up quietly to go find Ardeth. It was very unlikely that Jonathan would be awake at this hour, which was lucky really; she, Ardeth, and Rick had a lot to discuss now.

At first she didn’t see Ardeth, but then she realized that he had moved even farther from the camp, a little ways out into the sand dunes. When the wind stopped, she could hear him whispering quietly in Arabic, and she realized he was praying. With a stab of guilt in her chest, she wondered if he regretted what happened last night. He must, Evie thought; she would never eavesdrop on such an intimate moment, but from what she couldn’t help hearing, it sounded like a plea for forgiveness.

She hoped Rick would be up soon; she didn’t want to delay their discussion of this any longer than necessary, because if Ardeth was uncomfortable or upset, she and Rick had to do their best to make it right.

After a while, Ardeth came back and sat next to her by the fire pit and have some breakfast.

“You’re up early,” he said, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. Evie blushed.

“So are you,” she returned.

He gave her a soft grin. “I’m used to being up early. Besides, this time of day is too beautiful to miss.”

Evie nodded in agreement, a small smile on her lips. There was a moment of comfortable silence, then Evie took a deep breath and cautiously asked the question that was weighing on her mind. “Ardeth, you don’t—you don't regret any of last night, do you?”

When Ardeth answered, his eyes were focused on the sand dunes in the distance. “In my faith, it is a sin to have such intimacy outside of marriage, and among the Medjai, it is often punished.” He met her eyes, then took a deep breath before continuing. “I feel deeply for both you and Rick. I only regret it insofar as it goes against God, and I’m sure it will be forgiven with repentance, as it was done for love… But, I don’t truly regret being with you and Rick.” Ardeth searched her face anxiously, his own soft and open.

Evie grinned, relieved. “I don’t regret it either.” Then she pulled him in for a gentle kiss, feeling him smile into it.

After a few more minutes, Rick woke up and came out to join them, and the three of them took the opportunity to discuss where their relationship would go from here. Ardeth confessed that he’d feel far more comfortable if they could have the security of a real relationship, and Evie was inclined to agree with him. They talked things out, made some adjustments, and eventually came to the decision to give a romantic relationship a try. Spending time in Ardeth’s home camp would be perfect for this, though they’d have to keep everything a secret.

They had a long day of traveling ahead of them, and they would have to leave soon if they wanted to get to the Medjai camp before dark. Jonathan still hadn’t come out of his tent, so Evie went to drag him out. 

“You know,” he said as he was eating, “if you three are going to continue doing what you did last night, you might be a little more quiet. Makes it quite hard for some of us to sleep.” 

Evie spluttered, slightly shocked. “Jonathan!

“We’ll do our best,” Rick interrupted, giving Evie and Ardeth a teasing smirk, and Evie swatted his arm. Eventually, they packed up the tents and started their journey, Ardeth in the lead, all of them feeling refreshed after a night of rest.

None of them talked much during the journey, except when they took the occasional break for food, but Evie found the time passing quickly. She still couldn’t believe that this was actually happening to her; she was in love with two incredibly handsome men and they both loved her and each other back. This was something very special, that she was sure of, and she would do her best to treasure the moments she had with them.

The sun had reached its peak and was on its way back down by the time Ardeth half turned in the saddle and called over his shoulder that the camp was near. _Thank goodness,_ Evie thought. She was sure her face and arms were sunburned by now, though she wasn’t as concerned about it as she probably should be.

As the Medjai camp came into view, energy and excitement seemed to radiate from Ardeth despite the long journey. He flashed a bright grin at his three companions and urged his camel to go faster, Evie’s following suit until she was riding right next to him. They rode like that until finally they came to the outskirts of camp; people nearby waved to them and shouted greetings to Ardeth, which he returned. It became obvious after a while how much his people loved and respected him, and Evie felt a surge of pride for him, knowing what a truly great leader he must be.

Nearer to the center of the camp now, Ardeth dismounted his camel and greeted a man not much younger than himself.

“Faris, how are you? It’s so good to see you!”

“And you, Ardeth, I’ve missed you.” The other man pulled Ardeth into a long hug, and when he released him asked, “So who are these people?”

“They fought with us against the Creature. This is Rick, Jonathan, and Evelyn. She’s the one who was able to finally destroy the Creature.”

As Ardeth introduced them, Evie was glad not for the first time that she spoke at least some Arabic. She nodded to Faris. “Nice to meet you.” Ardeth glanced at her in some surprise before introducing the man in English.

“This is Faris, my right hand. He takes over my duties when I’m away.”

Rick and Jonathan gave him a nod, and then Ardeth showed them where they could find food. There was lots of it, as well as music and dancing, and by the end of the evening, Evie felt entirely satisfied and pleasantly tired. She didn’t think she’d mind at all if she spent the rest of her life here; everyone was so warm and kind even though she, Jonathan, and Rick were complete strangers, and she almost felt as if these people were like family to her already. As she, Rick, and Ardeth retired to Ardeth’s tent, Jonathan having gotten the only unoccupied tent available, she felt that coming here was one of the best decisions she’d made lately.


End file.
